Parking meter



R. G. AREY PARKING METER Oct. 21, 1941.

Filed July 23, 1940 ap ray Hls Attorney jacent the parking area.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 PARKING METER Ralph G. Arey, Swampscott, Masa,assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication July 23, l940, Serial No. 346,949

1 Claim.

My invention relates to coin-controlled time measurement meters and inparticular parking meters.

A parking meter is a device employed to discourage the parking ofautomobiles for long periods of time on busy streets but which, upon thedeposit of a coin, authorizes parking for a selected short time intervalkept account, of-by the meter. When the legal parking time has elapsed,the meter so indicates.

The object of my invention is to provide a reliable and simple, low costmeter of this type.

The features of my invention which are believed to be novel andpatentable will be pointed out inthe claim appended hereto. For a betterunderstanding of my invention, reference is made in thefollowingdescription to the accompanying drawing which, in Fig. 1 illustrates aperspective view of my meter as assembled in its casing and Fig. 2illustrates the coin-controlled timing mechanism thereof.

means of which my meter is to be supported ad- Where the meter is inpart electrically operated such standard may be made hollow, and containthe electric supply batteryor supply wires. The meter is contained in acasing Ii having a coin slot |2,,a coin observation window I3, a coinbox ll which may be looked as indicated by the key hole I5, and windows,one of which is shown at l6, exposing to view the time indicator H andthe time scale i8. Another window and scale serving the same purpose asthe one shown may be contained in the opposite side wall pf the casingin order that the time indicating mechanism may be seen from up As shownin Fig. l,

. down the scale and indicate the remaining parking time paid for, andat the end of the 60-min.- uteinterval will. indicate zero unless in themeantime another coin has been deposited.

' The mechanism for operating the indicator is illustrated in Fig. 2.The indicator IT is on the upper end of a member 20 which is arranged toslide vertically in guides 2| and 22. The rod 20 is urged to moveupwardly and in an upscale direction by a spring 23. A stop 24 on ornear the lower end of the rod limits the extent of such upward movementby coming against guide 22 and the stop 24 is adjustable along the rodto adjust the device for diiferent lengths of allowable parking time.The striking surface IQ of stop 2l'may be of rubber-or the like toabsorb shock and decrease noise. As shown in Fig. 2,

the stop 24 is adjusted so that the indicator H is opposite the60-minute graduation of scale ll when the rod 20 is in the uppermostposition allowed by the adjustment of stop 24. The device is thusadjusted for a 60-minute parking time interval and to adjust for a30-minute time interval, for example, the stop 24 would be loosened androd 20 moved down to bring the indicator i1 opposite the 30-minutegraduation of the scale i8 and the stop 24 again tightened, while incontact with guide member 22.

Rod 20 is also provided with ratchet teeth 25 over a part of its lengthon one side which cooperate with ratchet pawl 26 and a retaining stoppawl 21 to move the rod 20 downward against the tension of spring 28.These ratchet teeth have been shown somewhat enlarged and fewer innumber as compared to the spacing of the time graduations at l8 thanwill actually be the case in practice in order that the ratchetmechanism might be more clearly pictured. The illustration of theprinciple is what is intended rather than preferred dimensions. In theillustration the pawls 2d and 21 are held away from the ratchet teeth onrod 20 by means of a finger 28 on an arm of a coin-actuated lever 29.This occurs when a coin 30 is pushed into coin slot l2, but at other.times finger 28 is retracted and allows the tips of the pawls 21 and 28to rest against the toothed surface of rod 20. The pawls are positionedone back of the other so that both are moved away by one finger 2B.

The pawls are so pivoted and weighted as to swing into contact with thetoothed surface when permitted to do so.- The stop pawl ispivoted on astationary pin 3! and pawl 26 is pivoted on an eccentric 32 secured to ashaft 33 of a timer motor 3;. When the time motor is in operation theeccentric gives the pawl 28 an up and down reciprocating motionsufilcient to move ratchet rod 20 downward. The spacing of the teeth 25on rod '20 is such "that the throw of the eccentric moves the rod 20downward a corresponding distance for each ratcheting operation and thestop pawl 21 prevents the rod from following the pawl 25 in its upwardor retracting movement.

The timer motor may be of any suitable type but I have represented it asbeing an electric clock motor of the self-starting synchronous typecommonly used for timing purposes. This motor is energized from a source35 through a switch 36 biased to a closed position by the spring contactvarm 31. The arm 31 extends into the path of movement of a member 38secured to rod 20 as the rod moves downward. The member 38 is sopositioned on rack rod 20 as to move against resilient .switch member 31to open the switch when the indicator I] registers with the zero so timegraduationon scale It. It is thus seen that whenever the register hasbeen driven to a zero 'time indicating position, the motor 34 isdeenergizedand it stops, otherwise it is energized and in operation. p

The coin lever. 29 referred to above is pivoted at 39 and.is normallypulled to the right against a stop 40by a spring 4| and when in suchposition the pin 28 is retracted and permits the pawls 23 and 21 tocooperate with the ratchet teeth on rod 20.- However, when a coin-30 ispushed into lever 23 and partially obstructing the coln slot opening androtates rod .23 about its pivot 33 against the tension of spring 4|until the coin clears the obstructing roller 42 and drops downward. Thusthe insertion "of the proper coin moves the pawls 26 and 21 away fromthe toothed surface of rod for an interval suflicient for the spring 23to raise rod 20 to a position deter mined by the time setting of stop 24and also closingswitch 36, if open at the time the coin was deposited.

thuscaught at this second obstruction in the coin passageway andretained justlabove the 1 projection- 43 until another coin 'isdeposited. ;This position of the coin is opposite the window l3 .(seeFig. 1) where a police oflicer can see it v and this is merely a featureof thedevice which 7 discourages dishonest persons from using slugs orimproper coins. When the next coin is deposited in coin chute l2, lever29 upon being moved to'the left releases the coin held at point 1 '43and it then falls downward into the coin box expired, pawls 26 and 21are released and the rod rises to full-time position. In such case themotor is not stopped but continues to operate. otherwise the operationsare the same.

- The switch 36 and the feature 'of stopping the timing motor are notessential to the successful operation of this device. I could allow Ithe motor to run without doing any work when slot l2, it contacts with aroller 42sccured to the indicator is in a zero time indicating positionsince the teeth 25 need not extend upward on rod 20 beyond the pointnecessary to lower such rod to the zero time-indicating position.

The time dial and indicator are preferably 11- luminated when in use bya lamp 44 connected 15* in parallel with the motor through switch 36.Such illumination will nilso be of assistance to the patrol ofiicersince he can detect it from a much greater distance than he can read thetime dial. If ,a car is parked opposite a dark meter,the oiiicer knowsat once that it is illegally parked.

If a one-revolution per minute terminal speed, timer motor island at 34,there should .be 60 teeth in the rack on rod 23 covering a distanceequal to the length of a 60-minute scale at 1'8 and the throw of thepawl 26 should be slightly greater than the spacing of teeth 25. In suchcase the indicator II will be moved downward I in steps once per minutewhich will give sunlat l4. In dotted linesat 30a I have indicated a coinjust being :released and starting to fall. Below point 43 the tlearancebetween .lever 29, which forms one side of the coin chute, and the otheredge of the chute widens out to allow the cointo drop freely.

I will now briefly review the operation of this device starting with thedeposit of a *coin and the positoin of the parts shown inFlg. 2. Coin30, after being completely pushed into the slot, clears roller 42 anddrops to point 43 where it is caught ,by the lever 29 which has nowmoved to the, right against stop 40. Motor 34 is in operation andv movesrod 20 downward tensioning spring 23. This continues for a 60-minuteperiod or until another coin is deposited. If no more coins aredeposited during this 60-minute the remaining allowable parking time onscale i3. Nothing. further happens until another coin is deposited; Whenthis occurs, the co taught 'at point .43 is released,'pawls 26 and 2 arede- 'falling coin atpoint 43 and allowing the pawls 2,1 and 28 to againmesh with the rack on rod 20. The motor 34 having been started, the rod20 is lowered to measure the parking time period just paid for and thespring 23 is rewound.

Should a coin be --depositedduring such a timtrig operation andbeforethe time paid for has period at the end of such period projection 33opens-switch 36 and stopsgthe motor 34.. At alltimes during such periodindicator I'I indicates ciently accurate time indications for thepurpose in question.

It is seen that this device is simple, rugged and inexpensive inconstruction.

parts 'and its. operation is simp1e,1 yet it gives all necessaryinformation requiredof such a device in a reliable manner. r

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1- havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the '-.best embodimentthereof, but I desire tohave' it understood that the apparatus shown isonly illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by othermeans;

- What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

A coin controlled time metercomprising a casing having a coin slotopening, and a coinobservation window beneath said opening, a coinpassageway from said slot opening past said observation window, amovable time indicator in said casing having a toothed driving surface,time-controlled meansya pawl reciprocated by said means and biased toengage said toothed surface for moving said indicator'in one direction,a retaining pawl adjacentthe-first mentioned pawl biased to engage saidtoothed sur-' face, means for moving said indicator in "the oppositedirection when said pawls are disen- I obstructing the coin slot and apart for partially.

obstructing the coin passageway adjacent said observation window, saidlever ,being normally .,biased to the coin-obstructing and pawl-engaging position and movable from said position by the insertion of a coinin said slot to disengage both pawls and clear the coin slot andcoinpas-g sageway, said lever returning to its normal po-n l sition in timeto catch such coin where it may ha f I observed in saidobservatiomwindowr,

RALPH G.

AREv.

It has few.

